For many children, sports participation develops skills and provides a fun activity. For others, however, it may have negative effects, including loss of self-esteem, depression and agressive behavior. Major psychological issues associated with youth sports are discussed and suggestions on how to encourage a child's participation are offered. (JL)

Process reinforcement is proposed as a reinforcement method that is more comfortable, personal, comprehensive, and interactive than traditional behavior modification. Process reinforcement strengthens desired behaviors by engaging learners in a one-on-one examination of how they achieved correct responses and by practicing comfortable eye contact…

The article summarizes results of three experiments evaluating the effectiveness of a packaged program for improving and maintaining the on-task behavior of mildly handicapped children through the use of variable interval reinforcement schedules. On-task behavior increased and was maintained in all three experiments and academic performance…

Positive reinforcement was used to effectively treat aggressive and noncompliant behavior of two visually impaired, multiply handicapped male students (an 18-year-old and an 11-year-old). In one case positive effects of treating aggressive behaviors generalized to a reduction in self injurious behaviors. (DB)

Paired reading (with a helper) and an individualized approach employing a "pause, prompt, and praise" strategy were found equally effective in a comparison study involving 48 elementary students in Hong Kong with reading problems. Both forms of treatment produced greater gains than normal classroom instruction received by a control…

Describes two experiments that examined the conditions determining age changes in novelty preferences of children. (HOD)

Examined the effect of increasing verbalization of positive self-referent statements on self-esteem scores in 30 children. The experimental group received teacher praise contingent upon verbalizing positive self-referent statements and made significantly more positive self-referent statements than control students. Self-esteem scores for…

Paradoxical strategies appear to provide a change in the dynamics of the teacher-child relationship and are thus a more systemic way of viewing problem behavior than time-out procedures. Three case studies are presented in which the paradoxical strategies have varying degrees of success. (Author/ABB)

Describes Parent-Aided Homework, a behavior modification program designed to encourage parent involvement in their child's homework. The PAH plan stresses positive reinforcement for successfully completed homework assignments. Parents enforce the agreed-on time limits and provide extra learning experiences and rewards. (JAC)

Discusses the implications of a society devised according to Skinner's Behavior Modification Theory. (SB)

This study concludes that underachieving elementary students can be effectively motivated through the use of positive reinforcement by paraprofessionals or nonprofessionals. (HV)

The results and implications of an original experiment, a replication experiment, and a follow-up experiment concerning a structured group process oriented toward positive change are presented here in detail. (Author)

Subjects were three nine-year old boys with varying degrees of learning disabilities who tended to be hyperactive and disruptive. When given positive reinforcement for periods of on task behavior,'' their undesired behavior disappeared. As a result, the degree of disruptive behavior for the whole class was decreased during reinforcement periods.…

Middle- and lower-class children who had been treated by E in a warm or aloof manner were given a discrimination learning task under one of six conditions forming a 3 by 2 design: three reinforcement types (Verbal-intoned, Verbal-nonintoned, or Symbolic) and reinforcement for correct or incorrect responses. (Editor)